By Alimamy Jalloh@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr Moinina David Sengeh in an exclusive interview on Tuesday 3rd January, 2023 disclosed the Ministry’s plans for 2023.
He disclosed that he will be focused on the implementation of more Acts and Policies of the Ministry to ensure that the Senior Secondary Schools syllabus is implemented by ensuring that Heads of schools are ready to implement it this year.
Another area of implementation the Minister stated will be the timely disbursement of school subsidies in schools, adding there will be effective regulations and monitoring guidelines of the use of school subsidies saying that the Ministry will directly work with the Ministry of Finance to enhance such implementation for schools.
The Minister stated that his Ministry is currently reviewing the construction of 261 additional classrooms including 35% percent of pupils into the school system and that would be achieved this year 2023.
Regarding the WASSCE results withheld by WAEC, he stated that was an unfortunate situation for pupils who took the 2022 WASSCE exams clarifying that it was because of exam’s malpractices.
He described the two kinds of results withheld by WAEC, disclosing that they represent 9.9% or 2,600 pupils who sat for the exams and most of them were caught with their mobile phones.
The other type is those Secondary school owners (Proprietors or heads of schools) who lied to parents or people that they have an approval letter from the Ministry or either duplicated the Ministry approval letter or documents to deceive exam seekers or people. He said because of this negative behaviour, another new approval letter (document) will be made to avoid the previous duplication before by some unapproved secondary schools.
The Minister during his interview raised concerns about WASSCE pupils who were unfortunate to access their results from WAEC because they were deceived by some school authorities when they wanted to sit the WASSCE Exams and also exams malpractices.
He affirmed that parents or pupils that were deceived by school authorities to take the 2022 WASSCE, will have their issue handed over to the Anti-Corruption Commission for appropriate action to be taken.
“It was unfortunate that when those pupils went to access their results they were unable to access it.”
Dr Sengeh added that though those pupils were unable to access their results however they resulted to publish them on the Ministry’s SMS online but WAEC he disclosed still withheld their results because of the act of those school authorities in some Secondary Schools.
The Minister highlighted the gains achieved in the last year 2022. “This was the period when the world over recognized our effort in promoting education. We distributed Civic education learning materials to pupils for the first time in the country” he recalled.
President Bio, he said also is the global champion recognized by UNICEF in the investment of public education around the world. AJ/4/1/2023